Volume 1, Issue 1

August 2010

"I am originally from the beautiful Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. My travels have taken me to some of the most beautiful countries around the world. In the United States, I have lived and worked in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Georgia., and College Station, Texas.

I have been involved in International Education for 15 years, working as a Director of Student Employment/Financial Aid, an Assistant Director of International Faculty and Scholars within an International Programs Office, and now in my current assignment.”

"I'm originally from the U.S. state of Kansas, and I've also lived and worked in New Mexico as an international student advisor/recruiter. I've been in Idaho only since March 2010 and I like it a lot. I also lived and worked for more than 10 years in Japan.”

"I was born and raised here in Pocatello. I have been a volunteer instructor for the ISU Outdoor Adventure Center teaching beginning through advanced whitewater kayaking for nearly 10 years. I look forward to working with the IPO.”

P A G E 2

"I have been working with ISU international students for going on eight years now and have enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm originally from southern California but have lived in Idaho for the last 18 years. Idaho has truly become my home.”

"I have worked with international students for over 10 years and have enjoyed helping students successfully complete their studies in the U.S. higher education system. I have worked at three universities before coming to ISU with my last home being in Las Vegas.”

T H E P A S S P O R T

Meet the international programs office staff members

IPO Director Maria Fletcher

Intl Student Advisor /

SEVIS Coord. Shawn Bascom

Immigration Advisor /

Study Abroad Coord.

Kristen Reza

Intl Recruiter /Services Specialist

Sean Milton

Administrative Assistant I

Kerry Larsen

Idaho State University warmly welcomes

international students and scholars to its campus!

For full staff bios, please visit our facebook page

Greetings from the director

Welcome to all international students, scholars and their families. More than 380 international students and scholars from more than 60 different countries around the world call Idaho State University their home away from home.

You will have an opportunity to make valuable social connections and become acquainted with the myriad of resources at ISU and in Pocatello that will make your stay enjoyable and productive.

To introduce you to the services and programs of the International Programs Office and to make sure you enter the United States in proper status, we ask that

you bring your passport and immigration documents to check in with us when you arrive in Pocatello.

ISU’s location in the safe, scenic, and low cost small city of Pocatello makes the university an excellent choice for seeking a strong educational opportunity at reasonable costs. The International Programs Office is here to answer your questions and help you with any problem you may have. IPO serves as your resource on immigration matters as well as ISU’s liaison to those Federal Agencies concerned with matters related to international students and scholars studying and working here. Our staff can

also assist you with problems concerning your social and personal adjustments to life in the United States. As you navigate challenging and rewarding new experiences you are always welcome in the International Programs Office. We look forward to getting to know you during your time here at Idaho State University.

Our best wishes for a successful stay at ISU and do let us know how we can be of assistance to you.

Maria Fletcher Director, International Programs Office.

Cover shot : Administration 1

Building from 8th Street

Greeting from the Director 2

Meet the IPO Staff 2

Travel, Passport & O.P.T. 3

For F-1 Students

Meet the IPO Student Workers 3

Curricular Practical Training 4

Maintaining F-1 Status 5

New Information Publications 5

Study Abroad 6

ITESO Universidad 6

Jesuita De Guadalajara

Adapting to American Culture 7

Calendar of Events 7

Advising Schedule 8

Facebook Profile 8

Whitewater Rafting Trip 8

Sign Up Form

Inside this issue:

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

Travel for f-1 students

Travel for F-1 Students If you are traveling outside of the U.S., please remember to check your I-20 for a valid travel signature. If you need a new travel signature from an IPO advisor, there are three ways to get it.

Come to Walk-In Hours (Tues & Thurs 8-12 and 1-4) Make an Appointment with an

IPO Advisor Fill out a Document Request

Form – There is a 3-day Waiting Period!

If you have renewed your passport recently, bring your passport with you to the IPO when you request your I-20 signature. IPO cannot sign your I-20 if we do not have a copy of your updated passport on file.

Passport for F-1 Students – IPO Needs a Copy If you have renewed your passport, please bring it to the IPO for us to make a copy for your file. One of the rules of maintaining good F-1 status is by keeping a valid passport. If IPO does not have a copy of your valid passport on file, we do not know if you have one and cannot provide this information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if we need to. One of IPO’s main goals is to make sure that you have all the information you need to maintain your F-1 status and successfully complete your academic career at ISU.

F-1 Students on Optional Practical Training Students on Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) must update their employer information at www.isu.edu/iso/opt immediately after they receive their OPT card and throughout the duration of their OPT employment. Students on OPT must also remember to update their address, phone number, e-mail with ISU throughout the duration of their OPT.

Passport for f-1 students

OPT update for f-1 students

“I am originally from Nicaragua but have lived in the U.S. since the age of five. I currently reside in Pocatello, ID and have been working for the International Programs Office since October 2008. Before that I worked at ISU Academic Affairs and have attended Idaho State University since Spring of

2006. I also was a former ISU Ambassador from 2006-2007. I am currently an undergraduate student at ISU majoring in Theatre and Spanish with a minor in Dance. I am also the President of Danson ISU Student Dance Company and Alpha Psi Omega National Honors Society. I have a high interest to continue to learn and work with the International Programs Office and would love to become an advisor and mentor for students at Idaho State University.”

“I moved from Houston Texas in 2006 to attend Idaho State University. I am currently a senior majoring in General Studies with a minor in dance. I am the treasurer of ISU Danson Student Organization and I am also involved in Dance ISU, our faculty choreographed

company. I am very excited to be working with the International Programs Office.”

“I am from the beautiful country of Mount Everest; Nepal. I came here as an undergraduate freshman in Microbiology and now I am a senior. I have been involved with the IPO since my freshman year. I love it here. As a student employee with the IPO I get to interact with and help students just like myself from all around the world.”

Victor Gomez

For full student bios, please visit our facebook page

Ritika Sharma-lamichhane

Omar Raudez

PLAN AHEAD! Don’t wait until the day of your travel to check

your I-20 for a signature. If you need your I-20 signed urgently, come to Walk-In Hours.

Meet the ipo Student workers

P A G E 4 T H E P A S S P O R T

Curricular practical training  Most F-1 students studying at the college and university level can seek authorization for practical training to engage in temporary employment to gain practical experience in his or her field of study. There are two types of practical training:

1. Curricular practical training (CPT)

2. Optional Practical Training (OPT) which consists of 3 kinds: Pre-completion OPT Standard post-completion

OPT STEM extension OPT

What is Curricular Practical Training (CPT)?

The regulations state that curricular practical training must be “an integral part of an established curriculum.” They define curricular practical training as “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” 8. C.F.R. 214.2 (f) (10) (i). In a January, 1992 memo, INS stated that such training can be classified as curricular practical training if the student receives course credit. “The training program must be listed in the school’s course catalog with the assigned number of credits and the name of the faculty member teaching the course clearly indicated. There should also be a description of the course with the course objectives clearly defined. Students enrolled in such a course may

work out the details of their specific projects within the established course objectives under the supervision of the instructor.”

The following will discuss the principal kinds of arrangements that will generally be viewed as being appropriate for CPT.

Training that is required for all students.

Specific training that is required of all students is generally viewed as an acceptable basis for approving CPT. An example of curricular practical training required of all students might be supervised fieldwork for a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in a program where all MPA candidates are required to work with a public service agency.

Training required for a particular course or curricular track.

An example of curricular practical training for a particular course or curricular track would be the case of a student studying marketing for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree who is offered several options to fulfill the concentration in marketing. For one of the options, a paid internship is required. In this case, the internship would qualify as curricular practical training because it is required for a particular course or track, even though it is not required for MBA students. Another example could be a for-credit undergraduate internship in engineering that fulfills a degree requirement for the

student’s major.

CPT for doctoral dissertation research.

The question sometimes comes up about whether CPT may be used by doctoral students whose dissertation research might involve gathering data at a particular corporation’s research and development facilities. In certain circumstances, such students may only gain access to such a facility if they are employed by the facility. It is recommended that to use CPT in this scenario would be to have the employer enter a cooperative education agreement through the school’s cooperative education program, and base the CPT on that.

Cooperative Education.

Employment offered under cooperative agreements between an employer and the university through a university cooperative education office, which is an integral part of the curriculum but not required either for a particular course or of all students, constitutes bona fide curricular practical training. “Curricular practical training is defined to [include]…cooperative education…which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” [8 C.F.R. 214.2(f) (10) (i)]. The United States and Citizenship Services recognized that “CPT offered through institutionally sponsored cooperative education… is usually optional and not for credit.”

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

Maintaining f-1 status Maintaining your status is extremely important while in the U.S. While maintaining your status is principally your responsibility, our goal is to help you stay informed on how to do so. Paying close attention to the following guidelines will help you avoid falling out of status:

Keep your passport valid at all times while in the U.S. You must submit a copy of your new passport to IPO

whenever you renew. Pursue a "full course of study" at ISU every semester except during official school breaks, or unless approved

under a specific exception, in advance, by IPO. This usually means 12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students.

Make normal progress towards completing your course of study by completing your studies before the

program end date on your I-20. Keep your I-20 valid by following the proper procedures for extension of stay. These procedures are outlined

on our F-1 Extension of Stay document found on our website and includes submitting the F-1 Extension of Stay Student/Department Form.

If you need to change your program of study or change education levels, you must follow the proper procedures for

doing so. Please see your advisor as soon as you have applied for the new program.

You are given a 60-day grace period following the program end date on your I-20. Report any change of address to IPO within 10 days of the change. You will be able to make that change

through BengalWeb. For on-campus work, you must abide by on-campus work regulations, including NOT

working more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. Full-time, on-campus work is allowed during official school breaks.

DO NOT work off-campus unless specifically authorized by USCIS through the IPO.

Abide by any special requirements, such as Special Registration requirements for

those subject to NSEERS registration. This requirement typically results in a special annotation to your I-94 card.

   

Please note that there is a 3-day waiting period for any

document request made to the

International Programs Office.

We recommend that any request you make to IPO be made at least

ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.

other flyers are available: Housing Options for International Students, and Financial Assistance for International Students. These publications explain these two important topics of interest for international students in more detail than the viewbook. If you would like to have copies of these publications to share with your friends or family back home then

New information publications available for international students and scholars

please come visit us in the International Programs Office. We would be glad to email these publications as PDF attachments to you or anyone you designate. Contact IPO at ipomail@isu.edu to request one or more publications. And thanks for your help in making ISU better-known around the world!

IPO has produced three new publications that we are happy to share with our current students, and to those outside the U.S. who might be interested in ISU. The first publication is a ‘viewbook’ of university information aimed at international students, including admissions requirements, services, housing, scholarships, etc. Secondly, two

Please schedule an appointment with your advisor if you have any questions.

P A G E 6 N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E

increasingly recognize that time spent living and studying abroad should be a component of every student's education, introducing them to new ways of looking at the world and understanding their surroundings. Study abroad can lead to personal and professional growth and the acquisition of valuable competencies, including adaptability, cultural awareness, problem-solving, intercultural communication skills, confidence, and awareness of global issues. ISU offers several of opportunities in dozens of countries for students of all academic majors - including Business, Education, Fine Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Foreign Languages and Engineering. Students can use their financial aid for study abroad.

What is study abroad? Study Abroad is participating in a structured, credit-granting program of academic study in a foreign country for a summer, semester or an academic year, which is sponsored either by an accredited U.S. university or a foreign university. About 262,000 U.S. students study abroad every year, out of 18.4 million university students. Who can study abroad? Full time, degree-seeking ISU students in any major earn academic credit, which can be applied to their ISU course of study. Why should I study abroad? These days it is becoming more and more common for students from all majors to spend a semester or a year studying in another country as a part of their college experience. Students and their parents

If they plan ahead, any student should be able to take either major or elective classes abroad that will help them graduate on time.

What is study abroad?

"Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one's little corner of the

earth all one's life." ~ Mark Twain

ISU has an exchange program with ITESO Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara in Mexico. An “exchange program” means that you pay tuition and fees at ISU and are responsible for your housing, airfare and living expenses at ITESO. Room/board with a host family costs approximately $2000/semester. Semester and academic year programs are available. You do not have to know any Spanish to go on this program. ITESO offers a “Three Plus One Program” where you take three courses in English in areas such as Business, Humanities, or Social Sciences, and one Spanish language course at the beginning to intermediate level. For those of you who have a good

Study abroad in Mexico program highlight Iteso Universidad jesuita de Guadalajara

University of Paderborn

London’s Parliament Building

command of Spanish, courses are available in Business, Engineering, Education, Communications, the Arts and Culture, Social Sciences, Accounting, Information Technologies, Political Science and Public Management, and Psychology.

Guadalajara

Visit IPO’s website at : www.isu.edu/iso/studyabroad/index.shtml

to find out more about ITESO or ISU’s study abroad programs.

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Official Arrival Dates International Students

15 Official Arrival Dates International Students

16 Official Arrival Dates International Students

17 Deleta Skating Party & Luncheon

Intl Student Shopping

18 Intl Students Campus Tours

19 20 International Student Orientation

Housing Opens

21 Whitewater Rafting Snake River

22 23

Freshman Orientation

Communiversity Event

Fall Classes Begin

24

25 26 27 ISU Soccer vs. Coll of ID

28

Holt Hoorah Spirit Event

29

ISU Soccer vs. Utah

30 31

Adapting to American culture  Can you explain what a 7th inning stretch is, hum the Star Spangled Banner, or cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner?

American culture can be a lot to absorb for a foreign student with a whole new catalogue of slang, fashion trends, music and food to come to grips with on top of your studies.

The good news is there are plenty of organizations and societies at universities across the U.S. to help you integrate, from sports clubs and music groups to film societies and student radio stations. Making friends with Americans is also a great way to experience the true U.S. lifestyle. Get involved and you’ll soon feel red, white and blue!

Schedule of Events Check www.isu.edu/calendar for ISU Events updates

Aug 14-16 - International Students Official Arrival Dates

Aug 17 - Deleta Skating Party & Luncheon 10:30 - 1:00

Aug 17 - International Student Shopping Trip 1:00 - 4:00

Aug 18 - International Student Campus Tours 9:00 - 12:00

Aug 19 - Rest and Relax

Aug 20 - International Student Orientation 9:00 - 3:00

Aug 20 - Housing Opens

Aug 21 - Whitewater Rafting Snake River 8:00 AM (all day)

Aug 22 - Rest & Relax Bengal Theater presents “Peaceful Warrior” 6:00 & 8:00

Aug 23 - Incoming Freshman Orientation 7:30 - 2:00

Aug 23 - Old Town Communiversity Event 4:00 - 7:00

Aug 23 - Fall Classes Begin

Aug 27 - Intl Student BBQ on the Quad 4:00 - 7:00

Aug 28 - Holt Hoorah Spirit Event 11:00 - 1:00

Aug 29 - ISU Soccer vs. Utah State 1:00 - 3:00 Bengal Theater Presents “Goodbye Solo” 6:00 & 8:00

August 20 10

International programs office facebook page

All past, current and future ISU students are invited to visit the IPO Facebook page. IPO uses this page to provide university information in a casual format, and also encourage dialogue between students (and interested students). Any Facebook member can ‘Like’ the page and feel free to post items of interest, upcoming IPO and other events, questions for IPO, photos from events, or any item that other international students might be interested in seeing. Find the page at http://www.facebook.com/Idaho-State-University-International-Programs/145729080766. New items are added to the page often, so be sure to check out the latest news on Facebook!

International Programs Office 921 South 8th Ave. Stop 8038 Pocatello, ID 83201-8038 Student Union Building 3rd Floor

Phone: 208-282-4320 Fax: 208-282-2924 E-mail: ipomail@isu.edu

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OFFICE

Incoming New Students Whitewater Rafting Trip Sign up for:

Whitewater Rafting Trip

Subtotal:

Tax:

Total:

Aug 21st

Time

$20.00

Price

Name

Address

Phone

Check

Method of Payment

Cash

Signature

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR INCOMING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE

IDAHO’S OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES!

International programs advising schedule

If you need to meet with an advisor on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday it is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment in advance.